Therapeutic Areas

Devices
Neurology
Sleep

Overview

The Department of Neurology at the University of Louisville School Of Medicine is a vibrant and dedicated clinical department devoted to providing the adults and children of Kentucky and Southern Indiana with comprehensive neurological care. It is also dedicated to teaching the neurologists of the future and committed to participating in innovative clinical and translational research.

We serve three hospitals, two rehabilitation centers, and provide outpatient neurology services at several clinical facilities.

The clinical subspecialties are:

general neurology

stroke

epilepsy

movement disorders

neurodegenerative diseases

multiple sclerosis

neuromuscular disease

clinical neurophysiology

headache

sleep disorders

child neurology

Our clinical research in stroke, pediatrics and multiple sclerosis are among the fastest growing programs in the country, enrolling patients in important clinical trials with potentially life saving innovative treatments. Our research in movement disorders, particularly in progressive supranuclear palsy and Parkinson’s disease is internationally recognized as the leading work in this subspecialty of neurology. Our research programs in these and other areas involve a worldwide interdisciplinary network of collaboration aimed at developing preventive and corrective treatments for neurological disorders.

Experience

CHILD NEUROLOGY

The Division of Child Neurology provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services for infants and children with disorders of the nervous system. Inpatient care is provided at Kosair Children’s Hospital, the regions only free standing pediatric hospital. Outpatient care is provided at Kosair Children’s Hospital, and at University Neurologists, PSC, which is attached to Kosair Children’s Hospital via a pedway.

Child Neurology Faculty and Staff

Vinay Puri, MD- Division Director

Michael Sowell, MD

Darren Farber, DO

Anna Ehret, MD

Shefali Karkare, MD

Paula Hartman, ARNP

Angela Bishop, ARNP

EPILEPSY

The University of Louisville Epilepsy Program provides comprehensive diagnosis and management for people with epilepsy. We are a team of specialists including epileptologists, epilepsy fellows, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, nurses and EEG technologists committed to providing the best possible care for people with epilepsy.

List of Services:

Precise diagnosis of epilepsy syndromes and seizure types

Expert EEG interpretation

In-patient epilepsy monitoring

Expert medication management

Epilepsy surgery

Vagus nerve stimulation

Investigational treatments

Faculty and Staff:

Chris Shafer, MD – Co-Director

Alexi Hernandez, MD

HEADACHE

Patient Care:
The University of Louisville Comprehensive Headache Program promotes excellence in patient care to individuals with headache and facial pain throughout the Kentuckiana region. This mission is accomplished through patient care, teaching and research.

Clinical Research:
Excellence in clinical research is accomplished in the headache program through clinical drug trials, retrospective chart review and scholarly dissemination of that information at National Headache meetings.

Education:
University of Louisville Medical students and residents are educated in the Headache program through direct patient care at University Neurologists, PSC, the faculty practice of the University of Louisville Department of Neurology. In addition to regular course offerings, specific elective rotations in Headache are offered to medical students and residents.

The University of Louisville (UofL) Division of Movement Disorders was developed in 2003 and has since grown to include well-trained multidisciplinary faculty and staff who serve all the clinical and research needs of movement disorder patients and family members. Our comprehensive approach for the care of movement disorder patients and families includes state-of-the art diagnosis, appropriate evaluations, pharmacological and rehabilitation therapies, education, and ongoing support to improve the quality of life of patients and families.

Our allied team members include dedicated speech and language pathologists (one voice expert in PD, and one speech and swallowing expert in PD), occupational, physical and rehabilitation therapists, psychiatrist, psychologist, case manager, and geneticist.

Faculty and Staff

Joseph Ferrara, MD

David Houghton, MD

Walter Olson, MD

Colleen Knoop, ARNP

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS CARE CENTER PROGRAM

The MS Care Center Program provides a broad spectrum of services including:

Durable Medical Equipment - referrals can be made to obtain devices or equipment for home treatment.

Specialist Referrals - referrals to specialists, such urologists to evaluate and manage MS-related problems or neuro-ophthalmologists to provide specialized assessment of MS-related vision and eye problems.

Medication to improve symptoms and reduce the occurrence and severity of attacks, including newer drugs that have been shown to reduce progression or long-term disability in MS patients

Opportunity to participate in clinical studies examining new treatments for MS

This patient-centered approach to MS primary care is designated to address each individual’s unique needs.

Our MS specialists are an interdisciplinary group of highly skilled and trained team members serving MS patients with access to state-of-the-art technology, and up-to-the-minute research and drug therapies based on the MS Care Center Program’s participation in clinical trials.

The University of Louisville Neuromuscular Unit provides a full complement of services ranging from clinical assessment, laboratory testing and electrodiagnosis to biopsy and histology of nerve and muscle.

List of services

Clinical assessment of disorders of nerve, muscle and neuromuscular junction.

Dr Friedland is a clinical and research neurologist interested in behavior and aging who is frustrated by the lack of highly effective therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. His work is focused on clinical and biological issues in the disease using a diversity of approaches. The first reports of abnormal patterns of brain structure, metabolism and cerebral blood flow in Alzheimer’s disease using positron emission and magnetic resonance computed tomography came from his group at the University of California, Berkeley. While at the National Institutes of Health Dr Friedland’s group contributed early studies of driving performance in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. More recently, Dr. Friedland has worked on patterns of disease occurrence and risk and protective factors, involving Kikuyu in Kenya, Jews and Arabs in Israel and Caucasian and African-American subjects in the USA. His group has documented important determinants of the disease, including physical and mental inactivity, smoking and diet. This work is focused on interactions of genetic and environmental lifestyle factors and uncovering new disease genes. As much as 50% of the inherited risk of getting the disease is currently unknown, and new genes may provide ways to develop treatments. Dr. Friedland’s group contributed to a report of a novel Alzheimer gene which has been found to be linked to the disease in Arab subjects studied in Israel, as well as in people from 3 other populations worldwide. His work has led to a Health Literacy Program to enhancing public awareness of the disease and how lifestyle modifications influence risk. Dr Friedand and colleagues are also using animal models to better define the biology of the disease and develop new treatments. Work is underway on the role of immune factors in the disease and development of new vaccination and antibody treatments.

Dr. Friedland has authored or coauthored over 200 scientific publications and has current research funding from the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging), as well as several foundations, institutes, corporations and families.

SLEEP DISORDER

University Sleep Center was established to help individuals return to a normal productive lifestyle through diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. Our dedicated center, which is fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, has a team of experienced, knowledgeable professionals who work with patients to evaluate each individual situation. Our state of the art facility, located in the beautiful new Residence Inn – Marriott at 333 East Market Street, is also on the leading edge of sleep research and serves as a teaching and training center for physicians.
Each patient suite at the Residence Inn - Marriott is a private one-bedroom suite with full kitchen and separate living room area; the suite is very conducive to a great nights sleep for our patients. University Sleep Center is the only center in Kentucky located in a hotel environment.

Clinical Research:

University Sleep Center has participated in numerous beneficial research studies involving Phase I and II trials for Modafinil and Zyrem for Narcolepsy/Cataplexy, research involving Sleep Apnea and Pulmonary hypertension in apnea and other non-funded research studies.

Education:

University Sleep Center is aligned with University of Louisville Healthcare and the University of Louisville School of Medicne. The Center serves as a teaching site for physicians who are interested in sleep and sleeping disorders. The Center has both Neurologists and Pulmonologists on site to consult with our patient population as well as train interested physicians in sleep and sleeping disorders.

The Sleep Center is involved in community education for both patients and care-givers. We educate our patients through our support groups and provide community education at numerous events during the year.

Program Members:

Barbara J. Rigdon, REEGT., RPSGT., Facility Director

Affiliations:

University of Louisville Healthcare
University of Louisville School of Medicine

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE HOSPITAL STROKE CENTER

The University of Louisville's Stroke Center ensures that stroke patients receive rapid, comprehensive care. The center is the regions only facility with an in-house stroke team available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Combining technology, therapy and treatment, patients receive the most comprehensive care in the region. Examination, laboratory studies, cardiac tests, and state-of-the-art imaging studies can be performed within minutes of a patient's arrival in the Emergency Care Center. A full range of medical and rehabilitation services is instantly available, from a team that includes neurologists, critical care physicians, interventional neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, and cardiologists as well as nutritionists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, diabetic coordinators, and stroke nurses.

Dr. Kerri Remmel, M.D., Ph.D. is the Director of the U of L HealthCare Comprehensive Stroke Center. Our unique Fast Track approach assures that you will receive the region's most rapid access to treatment through:

Facility

1. The center offers both inpatient and outpatient facilities

2. The University of Louisville Hospital is a state of the art facility with all of the necessary equipment essential to providing the highest quality inpatient care. MRI, MRA, SPECT, PET, CT, complete laboratory and pharmacy, a neuro-diagnostic lab, epilepsy monitoring unit and sleep labs, are all available for research use.

Our Neurology Clinical Research Division is completely outfitted with the equipment and resources to accomplish research objectives in line with ICH/GCP guidelines. Our facility can accommodate all types of research requirements from Phase-I through Phase-IV, in both pediatric and adult neurology. The following equipment is available at our site for research purposes:

3. Our facility is located in in a beautiful new University of Louisville Health Care Outpatient Center in downtown Louisville.

4.Transit Authority of River City (TARC) is a safe and comfortable public transport bus service. There is also convenient parking connected to the Outpatient Center via a pedway. Taxi service may be available if needed.

Staff

1. Names of Staff Members

Angela Siegwald, RN, CCRC, MSCN

Ann Jerde, RN, BSN

Debra Brodfuehrer CCRC

Renee Weis, RN, BSN

Jeanette Billharz

2. Staff titles and years of experience in clinical research

Angela Siegwald, RN, CCRC, MSCN is the Clinical Research Manager for the Neurology Clinical Research Division. She has over 14 years of research experience in the field of neurology including epilepsy, acute stroke, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, migraine, and Pediatric trials with a special interest in Multiple sclerosis. She is a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Nurse through IOMSN as well as a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator through ACRP. She continues to act as the main coordinator for all the MS clinical trials while also performing her role as a clinical manager.

Ann Jerde, RN, BSN is a Clinical Coordinator with six years experience in Stroke Research, is NIHSS and mRS certified and is experienced in both pharmaceutical and device trials.

Debra Brodfuehrer, CCRC is a Clinical Research Coordinator with 14 years experience in adult neurology clinical trials and has been ACRP certified for 12 years. She has experience in epilepsy, migraine, neuropathic pain, Post Herpetic, Diabetic Neuropathy, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. She has also been a MSFC rater for MS trials for five years and worked on pediatric epilepsy and migraine studies for the past five years

Renee Weis, RN, BSN is a Clinical Nurse Coordinator previously worked at a pediatric hospital for four years and also has pediatric ICU experience.

Jeanette Billharz is the Program Assistant Senior for Clinical Research Division and provides administrative, clerical and general functions to support office management and study program coordinators. Her years of experience have taught her to prioritize responsibilities in the fast faced medical office.

Patients

Our patient populations comprises of patients from most of Kentucky and Southern Indiana counties and surrounding states.